Collection of No 6 Drabbles
by itabitaboo
Summary: This is a collection of drabbles I've written on my roleplay blog. It's just a big ol' pot luck of whatever I was prompted to write about. Ratings range from K to T, so read the rating at the top of each drabble.
1. You Again

**Title:** You Again  
**Word Count: **994  
**Rating:** K+

**Characters:** Nezumi, Shion  
**Setting:** Canon, Post-Correctional Facility Takedown

**Summary:** Shion shows up at Nezumi's window in the rain.

* * *

_Nezumi ducks as a knife whizzes by his face. He pants heavily, winded from all the agile maneuvering he's been doing just to scrape by. He feels another knife just graze his cheek, cutting the skin ever so slightly but stinging nonetheless. He sucks up his exhaustion and forces his body upright from its doubled over position. __He can see another knife coming and he tries to force his body out of its path, but there are no results. His knees just buckle and he falls to the floor. He knows this is it. He's on empty. Such a pitiful way to die._

_But then his neck is gripped tightly and he realizes that it's not a knife at all. It's a thick, black tendril protruding from the darkness that has been pressing in all around him. And then he realizes that his enemies are really just one, single person. What an even more pathetic way to die. __That person steps from the shadows, crimson eyes shining darkly. He's holding a knife, Nezumi's knife, as he approaches. Slowly. Slowly. Slowly. And Nezumi can't move. He's paralyzed. He wants to try and fight for his life, but he can't… not… not against him._

_The man steps closer, raising the knife's cold blade to Nezumi's overheated throat. His eyes are so dead, so empty, so unforgiving. And without even so much as a flinch, he_—

Nezumi sat upright in his bed at lightning speed, immediately gripping the knife by his bedside and turning defensively toward the window. Even as his face is covered in a thin veil of cold sweat, even as his fingers tremble furiously from the weight of his nightmare, even as his breath juts raggedly from his lips, he's able to take up a stance to protect himself. He might be the only person on the planet who could wake from a dead sleep, a nightmare no less, because of a tap on the window. But he'd trained himself to be constantly on edge. It wouldn't do to be snuck up on and killed in the night.

He tried to steady himself, but to no avail. Nonetheless, he had to investigate. He lifted himself from the bed onto shaky legs, trying to banish the lingering images of his dream in order to focus on the task at hand. The images continued to faintly replay in his mind though, making his breath come a bit more raggedly. When he finally reached the window, it was at the same time that another louder and more impatient tap sounded out. He furrowed his brows. That seemed more like someone was knocking on a door rather than trying to sneak in and attack him.

Warily, he peeked through the window to see the blurred form beyond. There was something familiar about the face outside, but he couldn't decide what. In any case, he started to open the window. Halfway up, though, he froze solid when he realized who he was staring at. Shion wasted no time lifting the window the rest of the way on his own, and then he started climbing through.

"Sh-Shion…" Nezumi breathed, stumbling back until his legs hit the bed and he plopped back onto it.

Shion grunted as he finally toppled inside the room. He turned and closed the window behind himself before taking off his soaked coat and setting on the back of a chair to dry. He shivered slightly and started rubbing his arms, looking awkwardly around the room. He wasn't entirely sure _how_ to breach the subject of what he was doing there, seeing as it had been a year since he'd last seen Nezumi's face. How exactly was Shion supposed to explain that he'd heard word of Nezumi's whereabouts and just decided to track him down without sounding like some sort of stalker? Especially since they hadn't seen each other in... well... way too long. Instead, Shion started with something easier.

"Towel?" he asked. But when he looked at Nezumi, the man's stance was just so broken down. His face was buried in his hands, his elbows resting on his knees as he slumped over himself heavily. His breath was more broken now. Shion approached worriedly and carefully touched one of Nezumi's shoulders. "I know this must be surprising…" he began softly, but then he didn't know where else to go with that.

Nezumi just sat there for a long moment being completely shut into himself. All he could manage were a few choked breaths. Shion got really worried then. "Nezumi, you're scaring me," he said softly, gripping the other's shoulder a bit tighter. "Did… something happen?"

Nezumi shook his head, though Shion had hit the nail right on the head. Instead of explaining himself, Nezumi just wrapped his arms around Shion's torso and hugged him tightly, tears he tried desperately not to cry soaking the otherwise fairly dry shirt. Shion hesitated at first, but then threaded his fingers through Nezumi's hair and wrapped the other arm around his shoulders.

"Oh, Nezumi…"

"I'm just… so… cold," Nezumi whispered, squeezing more tightly. Yes, he had been so cold lately.

Shion's hand combed through Nezumi's hair and trailed down to gently lift the man's chin until their eyes met. He smiled softly, his eyes far warmer than that of the man in Nezumi's dreams.

"So am I. Let's warm each other up."

Nezumi nodded as Shion wiped a tear from his cheek and smiled that carefree smile, the one he always seemed to manage even in the bleakest of situations. He loosened his grip and allowed Shion to manipulate his body. And when he found himself laying with Shion curled up behind his back, holding him tightly, he finally found his capacity to breathe again.

No, this was not a nightmare. This Shion, he was not a dream.


	2. In The Rain?

**Title:** In The Rain?  
**Word Count:** 712  
**Rating:** K+

**Characters:** Nezumi, Shion  
**Setting:** Alternate Universe, Post-Correctional Facility Takedown

**Summary:** Shion shows up outside of Nezumi's window in the middle of a storm.

* * *

Nezumi sat up in his bed quickly. Some remnants of sleepiness still remained, but he was otherwise awake and alert. This place he and Shion were staying at amidst their travels felt a little too open for his taste—he really preferred no windows so that no one could see or sneak in—but Shion had liked it, so Nezumi conceded. When Shion insisted they take separate rooms, trying to assert his independence no doubt, Nezumi could do nothing but concede again. Being in an unfamiliar place that felt too open made Nezumi sleep lightly, so it was no wonder that the soft tap on his window had woken him instantly.

Rubbing an eye, he picked up his knife and approached the window. But when he peered through the blur of the rain, he saw a face he was not expecting to see at all. He immediately yanked the window open and leaned out to help pull the man on the other side through.

"Shion, what the fuck?" he demanded.

"S-S-Sor-r-ry," Shion bit out, shivering violently and barely even able to help as he was tugged through the window. Once inside, Nezumi shut the window promptly and started pulling off the soaked clothes.

Shion blushed. "Wh-What a-are y-y-y—"

"You'll get hypothermia," Nezumi answered immediately as he tossed Shion's shirt aside. "It's pouring freezing rain out, you idiot. Take off your pants."

He moved over to his rucksack of things and pulled out a pair of extra boxers for Shion to put on. When he turned back around, it was to see Shion fumbling clumsily with the button of his pants. He sighed and shook his head, setting the boxers down on the bed and swatting Shion's hand away.

"You're hopeless." With ease, he unfastened the pants and pulled them down to Shion's ankles before righting himself and taking Shion's hand for support him while Shion stepped out of his clothing. "Alright," he said softly, handing Shion the dry boxers and turning around. "Put those on. Use my shoulders for support if you need."

"Th-Th-Th—"

"Yeah," Nezumi interrupted, saving Shion the trouble of trying to spit the word out. "Your welcome. Just… tell me why the hell you were out there."

"P-Pants?"

"Pants?" Nezumi repeated questioningly. "You were out there for pants?"

"N-No," Shion laughed, or tried to laugh. "D-Do y-you have p-pants?"

"Not for you," Nezumi answered easily, turning back around to face the hardly dressed male, who was still using his shoulders for support. "You'll warm up faster without them," he assured. "C'mon." He led Shion to the bed and tucked him under the covers. "And if you want me to help you warm up, then you better tell me what the hell is going on," he threatened.

"N-Nez-zum-mi!" Shion complained. But Nezumi wasn't budging. He just stood up straight in front of Shion and folded his arms across his chest. Shion blushed and then buried his face in the blanket. "I w-was s-scared," he mumbled. Nezumi's expression softened, though Shion couldn't see. "I-It w-was s-s-so d-dark and c-cold and I'm n-not used to s-sleep-ping al-lone…"

"So you went out into a storm to get to me?" Nezumi asked, trying to sound reprimanding but ending up with a soft tone instead. "Shion, you could have used the _halls_ you know. And you didn't have to choose a room on the other side of the hotel to begin with either."

Shion peeked out from the blanket. "I acc-cident-tally g-got c-caught out th-there," he stuttered.

Nezumi sighed and rolled his eyes. "I don't even want to know how you did that." He just climbed over Shion and crawled in bed behind him, scooting up close and cuddling him tightly from behind. Even if he was a fool, he was Nezumi's favorite fool alive.

"N-Nezumi," Shion murmured after a moment of quiet.

"Hm?"

"R-Rub me p-please?" he asked. "I'm v-very c-c-cold."

Nezumi snorted lightly. "Okay, Shion."


	3. Forgotten Wishes

**Title:** Forgotten Wishes  
**Word Count:** 1,589  
**Rating:** T+

**Characters:** Nezumi, Shion  
**Setting:** Alternate Universe, Post-Correctional Facility Takedown

**Summary:** Nezumi forgets Shion's birthday, but it's not the anniversary of his birth that Shion cares about.

* * *

Nezumi shifted restlessly in his sleep, rolling until his face rolled off his pillow and on to something cooler… and wetter too. But he ignored that dampness in his state of slumber. His dream—no, nightmare—raged on. The black creature crawled up to his motionless body. One long, sharp claw glinting in the low light raised and then slashed down the length of his face, except the touch was soft. It happened again, a tad bit firmer but still far too soft for a beast from Nezumi's personal hell.

He shifted in his sleep again as, in his dream, he struggled to move his limbs. He rolled over more, so that he was on his stomach with his face pressed into this very welcome and cool surface. The nightmare version of him also managed to roll over. And when he felt something in his hair, he looked back to see that the creature's claws were obviously buried in his skull. But, again, the touch was light and gentle. It was like a soft breeze rustling his hair, really.

He furrowed his brows, and it seemed that the creature was just as confused too. It let out a piercing scream of frustration that jolted Nezumi right out of his dream. He opened his eyes and gasped, not physically jumping up but feeling his heart leap nonetheless. The soft whistle of a teapot filled his ears. And after a few moments of dulled senses and pure confusion, he recognized the weight of a something still in his hair. He blinked his eyes repeatedly, shifting onto his side and looking up at the ceiling, which was blocked by… a face?

And then Nezumi registered what was happening.

"Shion!" he cried out, sitting up abruptly and knocking Shion in the forehead with his own. They both hissed in pain and cradled their knots. Though Shion laughed with amusement at the situation, Nezumi's eyes were wide and uncertain as remnants of his nightmare refused to rest. Shion noticed this and reached out to carefully touch the hand still resting on Nezumi's forming bruise. He moved it down gently, smiling at Nezumi all the while. He said nothing, just removed Nezumi's hand and held it in his own until Nezumi, inevitably, shifted into a more relaxed position.

"Tea?" Shion finally offered.

Nezumi closed his bloodshot eyes and sighed, nodding his head affirmatively. He felt Shion leave then and shifted into a more comfortable sitting position on the bed.

"Shion, what are you doing here?"

His hand came to rest on some damp cloth, which he reopened his eyes to recognize was one of his towels. He looked over at Shion and noticed that he was wet. He wasn't so wet that he was dripping water all over the place, but it was enough for Nezumi to be curious.

"And why are you wet?"

Shion looked over his shoulder as he prepared two cups of tea and smiled. "It's raining," he informed nonchalantly. "It was hardly a drizzle when I left," he added, "but it became a full-blown typhoon by the time I finally got here."

'_Just like that night so many years ago,_' he added in his head.

"I got inside quick enough to avoid getting completely soaked, but I didn't want to wet your bedding," he finished.

He paused a moment and waited for Nezumi to answer, but nothing came. Was Nezumi honestly oblivious to the meaning of today, or was he just purposely avoiding it? He'd made no attempt to contact Shion at all that day. Ever since Nezumi had insisted that he needed his personal space back, Shion had been living a fair distance away. Once the wall had finally come down, it was safe for Shion to move back near his mother again. It had taken a lot of convincing, some of which was crass and cruel, on Nezumi's part, but Shion had eventually agreed and moved out. Though it wasn't exactly proper to consider it a leisurely stroll between the residences, Shion didn't live all that far away. Nezumi could have walked if he wanted. And he had a phone now too, so he could have called as well. But he'd done neither.

It was because Shion had been driven to near madness that he chose to take the trek over, even if the sky was darkening menacingly with the threat of a storm when he'd left. He expected himself to act out of emotion when he arrived, for he was hurt that Nezumi had either forgotten or purposely ignored the recognition of such an important day. But when he used his spare key to get inside and saw Nezumi tossing and turning as if the storm were inside of him alone, Shion could not be angry. He simply went over and carefully soothed Nezumi as best as he could.

He'd learned long ago how to deal with Nezumi's nightmares without Nezumi knowing. Because Nezumi, of course, was too proud to admit he even had nightmares to begin with. But Shion was too caring to simply ignore them, so he, obviously, had to find a way to comfort Nezumi without alerting the other. That motivated him to discover what little things served as Nezumi's kryptonite. If not for the tea, Nezumi would still be asleep, slowly calming down until the nightmare dissipated on its own.

"That doesn't explain why you're here," Nezumi said, cutting into Shion's thoughts.

Shion held back a despondent sigh. "It's the 7th," he informed, taking his time to put sugar in the tea so that he could have a moment to get his building emotions in check.

"…and?" Nezumi prompted after a short moment's pause.

"Of September," Shion added, pausing too.

The silence between them shifted into something tense and heavy, and Shion knew in that moment that Nezumi had not forgotten. He remembered. He had just chosen to avoid it then. Shion set the sugar spoon down and braced both hands on the small counter space available, clenching his teeth against the impending tears.

"So, you just ignored it then?" he asked, though he knew the answer to that question would be a painful and unwelcome affirmative. "You just thought it was okay to not acknowledge this day? It's important Nezumi. If not to you, to me." He sucked in a trembling breath. "You're so cruel sometimes."

He felt Nezumi's arms suddenly wrap around his torso, hugging tightly as Nezumi's chin hooked around his shoulder. He could feel Nezumi's lips brush against his ear as the other spoke softly. "I'm sorry."

Shion was tempted… but…

"That's not enough!" he snapped, trying to peel Nezumi's arms off of him. Nezumi only squeezed more tightly. "Let me go!" Shion demanded. "I'm going home!"

"You can't go home in this weather," Nezumi pointed out. "Shion," he murmured, his voice belaying some of his emotion and causing Shion to falter in his fight. "—just stay." He nuzzled into the hair against Shion's neck. "I want you to stay."

And powerless to deny, Shion let himself be guided over to the bed. He let Nezumi rid him of his wet clothes and dress him in new ones, not making a move to help but not refusing Nezumi either. And when he was dry, Nezumi moved on to making him warm. He couldn't say that it was miserable to be encased in Nezumi's arms under the blankets this way… but as he peered up into Nezumi's eyes, he couldn't help but feel like he was falling into a trap. After a few moments, it became too hard to look into them any longer, so he chose to stare at Nezumi's chest instead.

He felt Nezumi's sigh rustle his hair, and hidden carefully within the soft wisps of breath Shion heard the words "Happy Birthday" slip into his ear. When he looked back up, Nezumi was smiling softly at him. Shion could not return the smile though, because Nezumi had gotten it all wrong. That wasn't what mattered. It never had been. Shion hadn't come to be wished a happy birthday. Nezumi could never acknowledge his birthday ever again and Shion would be fine. There was something far more special about this day that Shion wanted Nezumi to recognize.

Why was it that, even as Nezumi held him so tenderly and treated him so gently in this moment, Nezumi still could not acknowledge today as some type of anniversary for them? And as much as Shion wanted to hope that Nezumi would some day come around, he couldn't. Because Nezumi seemed so pleased to let this day simply be Shion's birthday, but that would never be enough for Shion.

In the end, all Shion could do was enjoy what he little he could get when he got it. So he snuggled closer to Nezumi, inhaling the comforting scent of his skin. He let himself drift away into Nezumi's essence, forgetting the negative between them and latching on to the positive as if it were the very breath in his lungs. It was a fallacy, a dream, a lie. But it was all that Shion had to get by on anymore… so he clung to Nezumi as if for dear life and closed his eyes.

"Thank you."


	4. Sing Me Away

**Title:** Sing Me Away  
**Word Count:** 844  
**Rating:** K+

**Characters:** Nezumi, Shion  
**Setting:** Alternate Universe

**Summary:** Nezumi is comforted by Shion.

* * *

_Shion grabbed Nezumi's hand gently, stilling the tremors as much as possible to keep the blade tip at his chest from scratching into his skin._

_"S-Still, Nezumi, o-or it'll h-hurt," he choked out._

_Nezumi's already shallow breathing only worsened. "Sh-shut up! It's gonna hurt anyway!"_

_Shion coughed, squeezing Nezumi's hand tightly. With his free hand, he grabbed onto Nezumi's shoulder for a brace. "Q-Quickly…"_

_Nezumi tried to steady himself. He tensed his body, tightened his grip, held his breath. And then he let it all out and loosened up again, slumping over in defeat and crying, "I can't do it, Shion! Why would you ask me to do something like this?"_

_"Nezumi," Shion murmured. It was not angry or disappointed, neither impatient nor upset. It was soft and understanding. It was gentle, supportive. He waited until Nezumi finally met his eyes, a storm swirling in their gray depths, and then he smiled and nodded. "You c-can, Nezumi. You're b-braver than me. Y-You can s-save me. The only one. The o-only one," he whispered._

_For a long moment, Nezumi just stared at Shion, but then he started to put on the empty shell he had been so used to wearing before Shion entered into his life._

_"Don't."_

_Nezumi's eyes livened up again._

_"Don't d-do that, Nezumi," Shion murmured. "I w-want to s-see you when I d-die… the real you..."_

.

"Nezumi!"

Nezumi snapped awake, jolting out of his dream as if he'd been drenched by a bucket of cold water. His skin was covered in a thin layer of cold sweat, his breathing shallow and his head aching tremendously. He put a hand to his forehead before carefully laying himself back down.

"Shion," he murmured softly in reply.

"Shhh, Nezumi. Breathe."

"Go away."

There was a short pause. "If I go away, you go crazy."

Nezumi scoffed and rolled over onto his side, regulating his breathing pattern slowly and talking between each breath. "Shion, I'm talking to a dead man. Out loud. I already am crazy."

He knew it was impossible, but he swore he felt something ghost across his face, something that made him shiver.

"But you get crazier when I'm gone," Shion pointed out. "I'm afraid you'll fall into a coma and just play that moment over and over again until you die."

"Isn't that what I'm already doing anyway?" Nezumi grumbled.

Another pause from Shion. "That's why I wake you up."

Nezumi sighed and closed his eyes, seeing Shion's familiar face pop up before him-white hair, deep eyes, a red snake, and the most uplifting of smiles. After a moment, he nodded his head and mumbled, "I'm thankful." He couldn't see, but Nezumi swore he could _feel_ Shion smiling.

"Would you like me to sing to you, Nezumi?" Shion asked. "That always cures the headaches, doesn't it? The same way your voice always seemed to heal me, and everyone else around you too."

Nezumi scoffed at the idea of him being any sort of healer, but he nodded to Shion's suggestion nonetheless.

"I know the perfect song," Shion informed softly.

There was another pause then, this one longer than the rest, in which Nezumi waited for Shion's voice to sound. When the silence dragged out more than what was comfortable, Nezumi cracked open his eyes.

"Shion?" he asked, beginning to worry.

"Shhh," Shion cooed. "I'm here, Nezumi, always here. I was just getting close, snuggling."

Nezumi's fretting settled again, but his eyes began to water ever so slightly as he imagined Shion nuzzling against his back as he was sometimes one to do. "I can't feel you, Shion," he pointed out, his voice somber and quiet.

"Sure you can," was Shion's easy reply. "Don't cry, Nezumi. I'm here."

Nezumi just closed his eyes, thinking that it was fucked up to have the memory of a ghost comfort you in your time of need. But this was his life now, because never would he let another close like Shion again. He would be alone now, with nothing but the company of his imagination.

Moments later, Shion's voice, soft and lulling, drifted to his ears. It was a song that Nezumi did not recognize, but it felt as if it belonged in his heart. He closed his eyes, his breathing evening out and his body beginning to feel heavy. Eventually, that voice melded into the world of his dreams. This time, he did not loop through the events of that awful day. This time, Nezumi dreamt of glorious things, all narrated by the soft sweetness of Shion's whispering voice. Quietly, quietly, quietly, Nezumi faded into the darkness, letting the void claim him and hoping that tonight would be the night that he would not wake, hoping that Shion would sing him off into nothingness, into final peace.


	5. A Not-So-Happy Birthday

**Title:** A Not-So-Happy Birthday  
**Word Count:** 2,728

**Rating:** T+  
**Warnings:**  
—Some coarse language

**Characters:** Nezumi, Shion, Safu  
**Setting:** Alternate Universe, Post-Correctional Facility Takedown

**Summary:** Nezumi is caught doing something he shouldn't be doing and then confesses something to Shion.

* * *

As Nezumi felt an arm link with his, he looked to his side to see Safu smiling up at him. He tried to smile back, but it came out as more of a grimace.

When he and Shion had first rescued her... well, to say the least, she was not herself. She was hardly even human anymore, really. Nezumi had wanted to leave her there, even Safu insisted on it, but Shion would not be swayed into agreeance. Nezumi tried—truly, he did—to pull Shion away, but even Shion was a force to be recognized with when he was determined. In the end, it was their mutual affection for Shion that made it impossible for either Nezumi or Safu to watch him break down so miserably. They had to appease him, and so they'd all escaped together. That was a story for another day though.

After that, Safu was not the same. At least that was what Shion had said. She learned to live with her "condition" and became as normal as possible, but she was still quite otherworldly on occasion. These days, though, one would never suspect she was anything but your average girl. Although, she was less a girl and more a woman. She had really come into her femininity, and Nezumi had a pretty solid theory for why that was. In short, she was trying to bait Shion, and that pissed Nezumi off. She became more bold in her attempts at luring Shion in. But could Nezumi really be angry? She was just in love. Wouldn't Nezumi go to any lengths to bag the one he loved too? Yes, he supposed he would. And that was why he waged utter war against Safu, and that was how they became enemies.

Shion would not pick between the two. Well, to be fair, he was sort of ignorant of the fact that he was supposed to pick one or the other. He seemed oblivious to either of their affections, and he certainly didn't notice the tension between them either. He thought they were a happy family, even after Nezumi downright refused to let Safu stay with them. She was forced to get her own home, which Shion regularly camped out at to equally share his company. That was another thing that pissed Nezumi off to no end.

When Nezumi really thought about it though, he didn't believe that Shion was ignorant. He believed that Shion was very aware of the situation and that he just pretended otherwise to avoid the messy details of it all. He didn't want to choose. He wanted them both, but really neither. That also pissed Nezumi off. In the end, though, Shion was still the most important thing to Nezumi, so Nezumi dealt with the situation at hand. What could he say? Nezumi was smitten. He would do anything for Shion.

It was nearing Shion's birthday, and Nezumi knew that Safu would try to plan something special and no doubt intimate. If only to avoid letting her get the upper hand, he approached and suggested they plan something together. They could put their tension aside for one day so that Shion could enjoy them both at once, right? Safu had agreed to, and that was how Nezumi found himself linked to her arm the morning of Shion's birthday.

It must have just been the excitement of it all that kept her in such a good mood, good enough to cling to him like they were _friends _or something. Although, in truth, she was far more open than Nezumi had ever been. Safu didn't treat Nezumi like an enemy, completely unlike the way he treated her. She truly tried to befriend him for Shion's sake, but Nezumi would not comply. He could only theorize that the reason she was so comfortable making nice with him was because she had some fucked up supreme confidence that Shion was already hers.

The idea of two males in a relationship wasn't some unheard of thing, and it was far more accepted than past years, but it as still somewhat taboo. It was not the norm. So, yes, the odds were already stacked against Nezumi, but he liked to believe he had a great chance with Shion. They shared something Safu would never be able to share with Shion. But Safu didn't see it that way. She, apparently, saw Nezumi as no threat whatsoever at all, and that just made Nezumi's skin crawl. He wasn't even on her radar, but she wasn't just a dot on his but the entire fucking screen. After all, little boys weren't taught to grow up thinking, "I can't wait for my first boyfriend".

Nonetheless, today was Shion's birthday, so Nezumi was going play nice even if it killed him. When Safu smiled, Nezumi would smile back. When she spoke, he would listen. When she acted like they were buddies, he would play along. Whatever he could do to make the day run smoothly, he would do. For Shion. He kept repeating that to himself.

_For Shion. For Shion._

"Do you want to check with the caterer now?" Safu asked.

Nezumi shrugged and glanced sideways and Safu. "Sure."

Safu looked at Nezumi curiously. Normally, Nezumi would make some kind of quip. He should have made some comment about Safu was trying to make the affair too fancy, or he should have reiterated, for the millionth time, that he was perfectly capable of cooking Shion a good, and inexpensive, meal. There was, certainly, no need to spend money on something as silly as a caterer. But Nezumi didn't seem to have that in him today.

"What's got you so blue?" Safu asked.

Nezumi turned his eyes away, fighting a glare at what he felt like was completely fake concern. "What do you mean?"

Safu shrugged, looking forward again as well. "You just seem off is all. I mean, you're never particularly friendly with me, but it seems like something is really bothering you today."

Nezumi scoffed, unable to help himself. "You don't have to pretend we're friends when Shion isn't around."

Safu sighed, as if truly exasperated. "Nezumi," she groaned, "how many times do I have to tell you—"

"—that we're not enemies," Nezumi finished. "Yeah, Safu, I know. You keep saying that, but it's not the case, is it?"

Safu said nothing for a moment, but then she pulled Nezumi over to a bench and sat him down. He pointedly looked away, but she unabashedly stared at his face. "Nezumi, tell me why you feel this way. I have tried to bond with you, but you keep pushing me away."

"It's obvious, isn't it?" Nezumi said spitefully, though his face stayed mostly impassive as he watched people walk by.

"It's not," was Safu's response.

Nezumi turned to face her then. "Because you and I want the same thing, and you know it."

"Nezumi, I just want to be able to—"

"Save it," Nezumi hissed, letting his face contort into an expression of anger. "I'm so sick of you, Safu."

Safu suddenly looked away, looking totally uninterested. "Actually, I don't care."

That really knocked Nezumi over the edge. He grabbed her face and forced it toward him, getting close so that she couldn't miss a single growled word.

"Well, too fucking bad, because I don't care for you but I have to deal with you every fucking day anyway. I have to deal with that fake fucking voice of yours, which I _hate._ And I hate when you try to pretend that you're so sweet and innocent, but I tolerate you for Shion's sake. That doesn't mean I like you, _at all_, and that doesn't mean I want to be buddy buddy either, even if he's around. But I fucking deal with it, so you're gonna deal with me and you're gonna respect me t—"

"What are you doing!?"

Nezumi jumped at the loud holler and pulled away from Safu to see Shion standing behind his back. He looked at Shion confusedly before glancing at Safu, who was smirking ever so slightly, and then it was back to Shion with an utterly perplexed expression.

"What are you doing?!" Shion repeated more loudly, his face twisting with hurt and his eyes watering.

Nezumi was truly confused. "Shion, what—"

"Answer me, Nezumi!" Shion demanded. "Answer me now!"

Nezumi stood, feeling unjustly confronted. "Shion, what are you doing here?" he asked, hung up on that fact. Shion wasn't supposed to be in the area. Karan was suppose to be occupying him while Safu and Nezumi set the whole birthday affair up.

"Stop evading it!" Shion demanded. "_What are you doing_?!"

Nezumi stepped forward. "I was just talking with Safu," he assured. "Why are you getting so upset over it? Isn't this what you—" He cut off when Shion snatched away from his outstretched hand.

"_Talking_?" Shion spat. "That's what you call _talking_?"

Nezumi had never been more confused in his life. "Yes! That's exactly what it was! What else could it possible be?!"

Realization dawned on him though. From where Shion was standing, Nezumi could guess where he had come from. From Shion's vantage, it probably looked like Nezumi and Safu might have been… kissing.

Nezumi instantly denied. "Oh god! No, Shion! It's not what it looked like! Not at all!"

"Really? Because I saw you grab her and… and…" Shion trailed off, his bottom lip quivering and his voice reaching a higher pitch. "Why would you do that Nezumi?! And… And on my birthday!"

"No, Shion, you don't understand! I didn't kiss her! I would never kiss her!" Nezumi argued.

"So, what then? Did she kiss you? Cause that's not what _I_ saw!"

Another wave of understanding washed over Nezumi. Not even Safu could orchestrate such an elaborate plan, but she had definitely taken advantage of the situation when it arose. Maybe she was expressing some honest curiosity when she first brought up Nezumi's mood. Nezumi wouldn't go so far as too call it concern, but curiosity certainly applied. But as soon as she saw a chance to get the upper hand on Nezumi, she took it like the slimy snake she was. She'd do anything to get a leg up on Nezumi, even if it meant ruining Shion's birthday. And that really made Nezumi want to punch her.

Nezumi rounded on her, turning away from Shion and snarling, "You bitch!"

"Don't you call her that!" Shion demanded, stepping forward swiftly and shoving Nezumi in the arm. Nezumi turned back to Shion, more shell-shocked than anything. Shion stepped forward again and shoved Nezumi in the chest. "I hate you so much Nezumi! I hate you!"

"Shion, what the fuck?" Nezumi demanded as he was shoved yet again. "Shion!" Another shove. "STOP!" Nezumi bellowed, making Shion, who was crying freely by now, finally pause. "Think for a fucking second, you idiot! Why the fuck would I kiss her? I hate her!"

"Then why did you do it?!" Shion demanded.

"I didn't!" Nezumi yelled in exasperation. "I was threatening her!"

"Well ,why would you do that?!" Shion yelled back, his emotions only flaring higher as he failed to understand the situation.

"Because I hate her!" Nezumi declared, as if it should be obvious by now. "Isn't that obvious?! She's always trying to seduce you and it just pisses me the fuck off! I don't want to be her friend! I don't want to be around her! I don't want to fucking see her face!"

Shion paused, looking personally hurt by Nezumi's words, even if they were aimed at Safu. "Nezumi, w-why—"

"Because I fucking love you, you moron!" Nezumi interjected. As soon as he realized the gravity of what he'd just said, all the breath left his lungs. He cleared his throat and turn his face down, afraid that he might do something else to embarrass himself if he kept looking into Shion's eyes. His heart started hammering so wildly in his chest that he began to feel nauseous. "It was obvious... wasn't it?" he murmured, having lost his voice.

There was only silence though, total and complete silence. Eventually, Nezumi began to feel mortified and rejected, so he turned on his heel and began to walk swiftly away. He didn't dare look at anyone—not Shion, not Safu, nor any of the stunned onlookers.

"W-Wait!" Shion cried, jumping into action after his moment of paralysis finally passed.

That was when Safu realized that things were backfiring. Shion was supposed to let Nezumi walk away and stay angry, not chase him. This way, she couldn't be there to play the good guy. She couldn't comfort Shion. She jumped up and grabbed Shion by the arm as the man passed, hurriedly saying, "Shion, no, just let him go!"

Shion ignored her completely though, pulling out of her grip and rushing after Nezumi as if she were no more than a fly on the wall.

"Nezumi, don't leave," Shion called. "Just wait!"

Nezumi only picked up the pace, ripping his hand from Shion's grip when the other finally caught his wrist. Shion's reaction was to, then, throw his arms around Nezumi's chest and squeeze tightly, forcing Nezumi to stop.

"Shion, stop." The tone was far too soft and vulnerable to be Nezumi's, but it was his and the pain in it made Shion hurt.

"No, Nezumi. I-I'm sorry. Don't go." Nezumi said nothing at first, just struggled to get free. But Shion only squeezed more tightly. "Stay!"

"Let me go," Nezumi pleaded, his voice quivering.

"No, Nezumi, I want you to stay! Please! Please talk to me! I… I won't yell anymore. Just… just don't go. I'm not angry. I promise. I promise I'm not angry," Shion said desperately.

"No!" Nezumi said sharply. "I confess something like that to you and you just… you just… you say nothing! Your response is nothing! I always imagined you would be the one confessing to me, and I promised myself I would make the situation easy for you. I promised I would be warm toward you, but when the tables were turned you were the one who was cold to me!"

"I know! I know, I should have said something!" Shion acknowledged. "I was shocked is all. I was really shocked."

Nezumi snorted, as if he didn't even believe that. "Sure," Nezumi growled under his breath, part of him believing Shion truly was innocently shocked but most of him thinking that Shion had known all along. It would take an astounding amount of ignorance for anyone to be truly oblivious to the war between Safu and Nezumi and what it stood for.

"I know," Shion groaned, sounding regretful.

"What? You know?" Nezumi asked. "Shion… are you admitting that you really did know?"

Shion paused and then slowly nodded his head against Nezumi's back. "I think I must have known deep down," he whispered. "Maybe not consciously, not right away, but in my heart."

"Then why the hell did you yell at me like that?" Nezumi demanded, pulling out of Shion's grip and rounding on him.

"Isn't that also obvious Nezumi?"

"No!"

Shion stepped forward. And unlike Shion's angry reactions, Nezumi did not snatch away when Shion's hands found the skin of his wrist. Happy that he was not being totally rejected, Shion's other hand carefully came to rest on the skin of Nezumi's neck.

"I got angry because I didn't wanna see you with someone else," Shion admitted boldly and unabashedly. If this was going to happen, then he might as well do it with confidence. "I was jealous." A small tinge of pink did start to cover his cheeks though. "I was jealous of her, Nezumi, because I… I…" Shion swallowed thickly and gathered his courage before saying firmly, and yet so carefully, "Because I also love you, Nezumi."


End file.
